My Invisible Girlfriend: Chapter 1
Chapter 1: The Discovery The New England Bike Path. The epitome of New England Biking. Spanning 22 miles, it's good for novices and experts alike. I'm somewhere in the middle. I start pedaling. "Remember, honey," yelled Mom, "stick to your route." "Right, Mom, thanks!" I replied. I pedaled downhill, mumbling "Couldn't have remembered that if I tried..." I love to bike. And I'm good at it. Well, I was. It's been a good deal of time since I hopped on a bike. And if I'm going to tackle the path (the dream) with my family, I need some training. That's where my path comes in. I live in a small neighborhood in a small town in the smallest state in the good old US of A. Surprisingly, there's still a ton of room for bikers in practically the smallest space in the nation. So a 2-mile route through my neighborhood suits me just fine. It's got hills, car interface, potential personal interface, and it's all in good training. So I've tackled this 2-mile "monster" every day for the past week. It's been a great release, and everything's been as I expected. Until today. It started out normal enough. I was riding through my neighborhood, turning on to a secondary road. I was making a good stretch. I felt good enough to even pull my one-handed riding tricks. It was splendid. And then came the horn. I heard a blaring. I snapped out of my path fantasy to see a few dozen grey lines accelerating towards my face. The grill of the truck. That's it, Chris, you're done, I thought to myself. Did he/she swerve? I couldn't tell you. I think they tried to. But in the course of 5 seconds, I saw only the grill, the guardrail, and my brief flight before Dorothy's twister dominated my viewpoint. I was gone into the abyss. .................. I woke up. Slowly, but gradually. It appeared I was in the woods near where I crashed. I heard rustling noises in the nearby leaves, and thought I saw a silhouette. Aw, this is nice. The truck driver decided to help me out, even though he technically didn't hit me. I think... ''But as I began looking around, I realized the truck wasn't anywhere in site. Actually, screw the truck. Where was the road? Or my bike? How was I to leave? How long was it? "You got a nasty bump on the head there, boy. You might not want to move too much." Who the hell was that? ''Female voice, definitely not the driver. But somebody close enough to see me crash...and drag me into the wood, out of sight...from anyone else. I either am being treated...or held captive. Slowly I turned around. I can't see anything more than silhouettes without my glasses. Didn't see anybody or anything, except for trees. I saw a small knife near my head and grabbed it. Not good. The knife had a thin but dry layer of blood. Slight tears in the pattern indicate it had been scrubbed off. So either the knife is going to be used again, or... someone's trying to hide something. A goner either way. "Alright," I shouted, "now I'm making the rules! The mind games do not fly with me! I feel no pain, so it's a story about my accident and the 'nasty bump,' nothing more. I want my glasses, my bike, and a guide to the road, and I'll be on my way." "Whoah there, kid, killing me with my own knife after I saved your sorry ass is a bit unnecessary, don't you think? Here's your glasses, and trust me, you were hurt." I picked up the glasses after she slid them along the grass and looked around. She wasn't kidding. There was a huge blood-red circle imprinted on a nearby tree, and a trail soaking into the crispy autumn leaves. Geez, just by looking, you'd think I was a corpse. So I got lucky there. Now back to my potential captor... "OK, so maybe I was wrong about the injury. But then where's my bike, and where the hell is the road?" "Bike's over there, I flipped it off of you. You really shouldn't be so suspicious, and honestly, you should get a better bike if you want to hit the Path this week..." Oh. S***. How could she possibly know that? "What path?" "The Bike Path? New England Bike Path?" "How could you possibly..." "You mumbled in your little coma. Look, I have no intention of..." "Show me my bike. Right now." I was given directions, and found my bike. Not too bad, considering the crash, but fresh leaves on top of it? Not crumpled at all? It was hidden... "Why was my bike covered? Why am I hidden from plain sight? Why won't you let me leave?" "You are free to go whenever you want. I didn't intend to panic you. I was hoping you could help me." Then there was a hand on my shoulder. I turned...and saw no one. OK, '''now '''I'm freaked out. ''I pulled out the knife. "I'm not a murderer, and I'm not interested in pursuing that path. Show yourself, or I start blindly cutting everything around here. Not to mention what the cops will think." An audible sigh was heard. "I can't." "And why the hell not?" "Because I'm the one hidden from plain sight. I'm invisible." "Yeah, right. RI has no mutie..'mutants'. There aren't any mutants around here." "Somebody has to make the minority fringe, right? And think about it. The hand you felt but didn't see. The silhouettes. And I've done nothing but tell the truth thus far." ''Sh*t. She's absolutely right. This is so crazy. It challenges everything I know. What can I, a lonely nerd with few worldly possessions, offer an invisible mutant living in the woods? "(sigh) Fine. How can I help?" "Tell me where I can get food. A shower. A place to sleep. Anything comforting that the woods can't provide." "All of those involve breaking and entering at the best. And you could be beaten or killed if you were found. Folks don't take kindly to 'mutie scum' around here." "So do you have a better idea?" "It's crazy as hell, but yes. I do. Come live with me." "Are you out of your f..." "Think on it. I can lodge you. I can manage your food. And I'm lonely as hell. In the meantime, I'm going to go make sure my mother hasn't had a heart attack yet. The offer stands. And next time, if there is a next time, be more subtle." I turned, and got my bike. I decided to find my way out by following the river. It hit the road at some point, both of the rivers did. Lucky for me, lest I be stuck in a jungle-like forest with a disagreeable invisible girl. A step above torture. "Wait!" I turned, and heard footsteps draw ever nearer. "Yes? I assume you changed your mind?" "Shut up and pedal before I do it again." I chuckled. "Alright, fine, hop on." Then I began the mildly haphazard journey back to my house. Category:My Invisible Girlfriend Category:Uncanny X-Factor